Office of Community Service

Location: Batten Center #25Phone: 757.455.3216Fax: 757.461.4946

On-Campus Winter Homeless Shelter

For one week each January, Virginia Wesleyan University hosts a shelter for homeless men and women in partnership with the Portsmouth Volunteers for the Homeless. Established in 2007 and founded by students, VWU's Annual On-Campus Homeless Shelter is one of the only shelters of its kind operated on a college campus in the United States. The shelter is a collaborative campus effort but is staffed and managed primarily by student volunteers and provides a truly transformational experience for volunteers and guests.

The Shelter takes place during the University's Winter Session academic term and is typically tied with an academic course on the issue of homelessness in America. In keeping with the University’s Wesleyan heritage, VWU students are encouraged to become engaged citizens who care about their community in active ways. Shelter provides a unique opportunity for students to break down social barriers, look beyond stereotypes and make meaningful connections.

Virginia Wesleyan University

MAIN CAMPUS:
5817 Wesleyan Drive
Virginia Beach, Virginia 23455

BUSINESS SERVICES:
1584 Wesleyan Drive
Norfolk, Virginia 23502

757.455.3200

AboutVirginia Wesleyan University

Virginia Wesleyan University is Coastal Virginia's premier university of the liberal arts and sciences. Situated on a 300-acre park-like campus in Virginia Beach, the University annually enrolls approximately 1,500 students in undergraduate, graduate, and online programs. Undergraduate degrees include a Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science, and Bachelor of Social Work with 35 majors, 30 minors, and seven pre-professional programs. Graduate degrees include a Master of Business Administration and Master of Arts in Education (2018). Students thrive in average class sizes of 13 and through the University's experiential learning, high-impact leadership, and career-development programs. More than 90 percent of Wesleyan’s new graduates are employed or enrolled in graduate school within one year. The state-of-the-art Greer Environmental Sciences Center, Chesapeake Bay Academy, Tidewater Collegiate Academy, and other outstanding facilities and programs serve a vibrant campus community and regional partners in education. In accordance with its United Methodist heritage, the University aspires to be a supportive community that is committed to social responsibility, ethical conduct, higher learning and religious freedom.